1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an image forming apparatus, and more particularly relates to an arrangement of a photoconductor, an image development section, a toner storage section, and a laser scanning section which are used for an electrophotographic process in an image forming apparatus.
2. Description of the Background Art
In recent years, along with downsizing of an image forming apparatus, a diameter of a photoconductor drum used for an electrophotographic process is also being downsized. In the case of the apparatus having a medium-speed/low-speed, a photoconductor drum having a diameter of about 30 mm is generally used. This tendency stems from demands for lowering in cost, resource saving, and the like. In addition, characteristics of photoconductor materials and progress in the electrophotographic process technology enables the downsizing.
On the other hand, the image forming apparatus is becoming increasingly sophisticated and even in the case of the apparatus having the medium-speed/low-speed, an automatic duplex printing function is provided as a matter of course, which results from demands for energy saving.
Further, due to the downsizing of the apparatus, proposed is a layout that allows a printing sheet to be fed in a vertical direction (e.g., see Japanese Unexamined Patent Application No. 2006-78575).
Still further, proposed is an arrangement of a scanning device that exposes the photoconductor drum, the scanning device exposing an off-center portion of the photoconductor with a laser beam (e.g., see description relating to the conventional means in Japanese Unexamined Patent Application No. H61-132921).
Along with the downsizing of the diameter of the photoconductor drum, stations executing respective processes relating to the electrophotographic process such as electrostatic charging, developing, transferring, cleaning, and the like are densely arranged in the vicinity of the photoconductor.
On the other hand, when the duplex printing is performed on a large number of printing sheets, a printing sheet, whose first surface is heated at the time of printing, comes into contact with the photoconductor at the time of performing transfer onto a second surface of the printing sheet, and consequently the photoconductor drum is heated gradually. The heat conducted to the photoconductor drum is then conducted to the image development section which is in contact with the photoconductor drum, and consequently there may be a case where toner particles are agglomerated in the image development section. In order to prevent such a situation, it is preferable to create an airflow to release the heat.